Welcome to the redesigned site of The Lens. We hope you like what you see here, and we want to hear your thoughts on the effort — positive or negative. Please email Managing Editor Steve Beatty at sbeatty@TheLensNola.org. We’ll do our best to incorporate your feedback to make this site the best it can be.
Posted inSchools
Union cries foul over firing of custodians at six RSD schools
Former custodians at six of the Recovery School District’s direct-run schools say their former district-contracted employer fired them last week without just cause. Custodians say representatives from ARAMARK, a Philadelphia-based service corporation that RSD contracted with on April 1 for janitorial services, told them on May 1 they didn’t pass the probationary period that’s standard […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Last inmate leaves facility; new pretrial program ends 1st week
By Tom Gogola, The Lens staff writer | It was the eve of National Lemonade Day in the state of Louisiana – and the day that the notorious Orleans Parish Prison House of Detention was emptied of its last prisoners. Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman invited reporters to the corner of Perdido and South Dupre […]
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Investigations, Land Use
Katrina Cottages: Years late and $1 million over budget in the 9th Ward
An emergency housing program finally reaches the market at a cost half again as high as budgeted.
Posted inGovernment & Politics, Opinion
Why the hurry, Congressman? A legal payoff lay ahead
Lee Zurik’s Fox 8 report on allegedly fraudulent oil leases owned by Gov. Huey Long’s “Win or Lose” corporation, worth hundreds of millions in royalties over the years, and passed down to Long’s friends and descendants, is a fascinating investigation. Remember that Long, the Kingfish, rose to fame campaigning against Big Oil. But once in […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Public Defender, sheriff resolve lawsuit over attorney visits
By Tom Gogola, The Lens staff writer | The Orleans Parish Public Defender’s Office and the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office resolved a lawsuit Thursday with a deal designed to end persistent complaints about a lack of attorney-client privacy at the Orleans Parish Prison. Following a private meeting with lawyers Thursday morning, Civil District Court Judge […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Schools
Will repairs be finished in time? Receivables near half-million mark; bylaws revamped
Members of the Einstein Charter School board of directors approved new bylaws at their monthly meeting, May 1. The board had been revising the bylaws throughout the school year. Member Laurin Jacobsen reviewed changes with the board prior to the vote: Terms will last two years, with a limit of two consecutive terms. Members may […]
Posted inSquandered Heritage
A blog reborn: The 'heritage' that gave rise to The Lens
Newcomers to this site may not be aware that before there was The Lens there was a blog called Squandered Heritage. With help from a wee band of fellow zealots, I devoted Squandered Heritage to the task of chronicling the parlous state of the built environment in New Orleans post-Katrina, with particular attention to the city’s priceless residential architecture.
Posted inCharter Schools, Schools
Enrollment jumps and wait-list grows; MacFetters credits 'One App' and hard work
Akili Academy is at full capacity with a waiting list of students seeking admission to the school, board members learned at their monthly meeting, April 30. Akili principal Julie MacFetters credited the Recovery School District’s newly centralized “One App” process with providing the quick feedback on projected enrollment. The school averages about 60 students per […]
Posted inCharter Schools, Schools
Operating costs after move to Frantz site remain a mystery, slowing budget projections
Directors of the Benjamin Mays Preparatory School say they’re in the dark when it comes to anticipating operating costs they’ll face next semester after taking over the building formerly occupied by Frantz Elementary. That revelation was part of the discussion of next year’s budget during the board’s monthly meeting, April 30. Operating costs, including heating […]